Digital Extremes, Inc.

Moby ID: 201

AKA +
  • Digital Extremes London (from 2002-11-15 to 2005)

Overview edit · view history

London, Ontario-based Digital Extremes was founded in 1993 by James Schmalz, who previously worked at Epic MegaGames on Solar Winds. Digital Extremes' first game was Epic Pinball, published as shareware by Epic MegaGames.

Epic Pinball proved to be a huge success in the shareware market, warranting two spin-offs by Digital Extremes. Silverball, released later in 1993, was a commercial version of Epic Pinball with all-new tables. Extreme Pinball, released in 1995, was an all-new pinball game with new features and a faster game engine.

All three of these games helped fund the development of Unreal, which started development in 1994 at Digital Extremes. Unreal was a first-person shooter that sported a true 3-D graphics engine, and spent four years in development limbo before it was finally released in 1998.

Unreal also proved to be a huge success in the gaming industry. The first three Unreal Tournament games and Unreal Championship were developed by Digital Extremes, but Epic MegaGames (who co-developed all of the Unreal games) has owned the rights to the Unreal franchise ever since.

Digital Extremes has moved away from the Unreal franchise to work on Dark Sector, a third-person stealth shooter released in 2008. In 2001, Digital Extremes formed a second studio in Toronto, Ontario to focus on developing console games. The new studio was named Brain Box Games, but this later became the name of a small division of the Toronto studio that focused on budget games. Since then, the Toronto studio was renamed to Digital Extremes Toronto, and the primary studio in London was renamed to Digital Extremes London.

The Toronto studio worked on their first-person shooter Pariah while the London studio was still working on Dark Sector. After Pariah finished development, the Toronto studio began working on Pariah: Shroud Wars. However, since Pariah was a commercial flop, Shroud Wars was renamed WarPath and took on a new life as a whole new game. It was released in 2006.

In 2005, the London and Toronto studios merged so that they could both work together on WarPath and Dark Sector.

Credited on 36 Games from 1993 to 2023

Displaying most recent · View all

Wayfinder (2023 on Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5)
BioShock 2: Remastered (2020 on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch)
Warframe: Prime Vault - Oberon and Nekros Dual Pack (2020 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4)
Warframe: Prime Vault - Volt & Loki Dual Pack (2019 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Warframe: Prime Vault - Loki & Ember Dual Prime Pack (2018 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One)
Warframe: Obsidian Platinum Bundle II (2017 on PlayStation 4)
Warframe: Prime Vault - Brute Force Prime Pack (2017 on Xbox One)
BioShock: The Collection (2016 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...)
BioShock 2: Remastered (2016 on Windows, Xbox One, Macintosh)
Sword Coast Legends (2015 on Windows, Xbox One, Macintosh...)
Star Trek (2013 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
Warframe (2013 on Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One...)
Halo 4 (2012 on Xbox 360)
XCOM: Enemy Unknown (2012 on Linux, Windows, Xbox 360...)
The Darkness II (2012 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
Homefront (2011 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3...)
Retro Pinball (2011 on iPad, iPhone)
BioShock 2 (2010 on Windows, Xbox 360, Macintosh...)
Dark Sector (2008 on Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3)
BioShock (2007 on Windows, Xbox 360, Macintosh...)

[ view all ]

History +

November 9th, 2023

Amid layoffs, Digital Extremes closes its publishing arm and transfers control over the game Wayfinder to its developer, Airship Syndicate Entertainment.

2005

Digital Extremes merges their London and Toronto studios together, so that both teams can work on WarPath and Dark Sector together.

November 15th, 2002

Opening of their London studio and offices. Company name changed to Digital Extremes London.

2001

Opening of their Toronto, Canada studio.

1993

Digital Extremes founded by James Schmalz

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